Press Digest for Thursday August 09, 2012

4^min

The following are summaries of today's major stories published in the Arabic press. LBCI does not edit press digest articles for content, giving English-language readers insight into the various views expressed in newspapers across the Arab world.

Parliament’s Secretariat General returns copy of budget

As-Safir Daily was informed on Thursday that the Parliament’s Secretariat General has returned a copy of the budget draft law approved by the government since “it got to Speaker Nabih Berri in an inappropriate manner”.

Well-informed sources told the Daily that Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi had sent the copy to Berri to have his opinion. However, Berri demanded that it be returned and requested a decree signed by the President according to tradition.

Rai cancels real estate selling process, set to take place in Faqra

An-Nahar Daily stressed on Thursday that following a meeting between Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai, businessman Rizk Rizk and the head of Jbeil Municipalities' Union Fadi Martinos, a decision was taken to cancel the “controversial” real estate selling process which was set to take place in Faqra.

Sleiman disturbed by Hariri’s phone call

Al-Hayat Daily reported on Thursday that the visitors of President Michel Sleiman quoted him as saying that he was disturbed by the phone call he held with former PM Saad Hariri on Tuesday following the approval of the electoral law. Hariri reportedly held the president responsible of approving a draft law by “a government that represents less than half of the Lebanese people”.

The visitors quoted Sleiman as saying “I voiced my support to proportionality a long time ago and I have no personal interest in it; I had to work to approve the electoral draft law at the cabinet and then I left it to the MPs to take decisions accordingly and to divide electoral districts as they deem appropriate; I only did my job.”

Exclusive sources told Al-Hayat that, during the phone call, Hariri had told Sleiman that the electoral law “had nothing to do with reform and aims at handing the country over to one party”. Hariri reportedly added that this draft law does not achieve the required balance and causes a divide between the Lebanese.

US launches campaign against Lebanese banking sector

As-Safir Daily revealed on Thursday that Beirut residents and officials are worried these days due to the launching of the UANI campaign (United Against Nuclear Iran) targeting the Lebanese banking sector, mainly the governor of the Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh.

The Daily added that the campaign was officially launched in July, but has been under preparation since the beginning of the ongoing year. The executive president of the campaign Mike Wallace sent a letter to Governor Riad Salameh on February 20 raising questions on the commitment of the Lebanese banking sector to the sanctions against Iran. On February 24, Salameh replied to Wallace confirming that there was no financial relation between the Lebanese Central Bank and the Iranian Central Bank, and providing technical answers to Wallace’s queries.